Topic: Not an allotment as such...Using half the garden.

[robandally65]

We have decided to use half the garden and turn it over to veg/fruit growing.

I've worked out that we can place 6 raised beds measuring 7ft x 4ft, an 8ft x 2ft area up against the shed for caned fruit (possibly) and another area roughly measuring 9ft x 12ft where we would like to place a small green house and keep potted growing there.

Does this sound enough space?

Does anyone else only have a garden to grow and not an allotment?

Any tips you have found to utilise the garden area better?

[manicscousers]

hiya, robandally..welcome to the site  ;D
there are lots of people on here with back garden allotments, and some who grow mainly in containers, sounds like you have a plan,
take pictures before and after, we're a nosey lot  ;D

[thifasmom]

i am a back garden allotmenteer :). the garden is a good size at approx 116ft x 29ft with the lower half dedicated to food growing.



if the writing isn't clear here is a  link to the photo click full size on the left hand side to see things more clearly.

http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/?action=view&current=vegepatchlayout-1.jpg

the garden continues beyond the greenhouse and stepover fruit trees by another 12ft, but the boundary is on the diagonal so narrows to about 9ft. the composting area is beyond the greenhouse and the area beyond the stepover trees is for my dream 12ft x 10ft workshop/ shed. If i don't get it by the next growing season I'll grow scrambling squashes and pumpkins in its space.

we are a family of 3 adults and 2 children and since mid July i have spent very little on veg  ;D.

[Georgie]

Hi Robandally

I grow all my ebibles in my small garden, mainly in containers.  My top tips for making best use of space are as follows:

1.  Make the most of semi and partially shaded areas by growing Raspberries, Blackberries, Spinach, Lettuce, Beetroot, Radishes and Watercress in them.

2.  Use containers or hanging baskets on walls and fences to grow tumbling Tomatoes, Strawberries and herbs.

3.  Grow everthing possible upwards on canes rather than let the plants sprawl.

Hope this helps.

G x

[Lauren S]

Hello Robandally
And welcome from me also.

If you like corn, courgettes/cucumbers and some variety of climbing beans...i.e french or pole beans. Why not have a go at doing a *Three Sisters Bed*. It's an old Native American method of growing. The cukes and courgettes keep the weeds down and uses the spaces under the corn and the beans. The beans then use the corn to grow upwards.
I used this method this year with great success.

Good luck with your plans. Oh and don't forget the before and after pics.....We love them  ;D

Lauren

[windygale]

Hi Robanddally, it's nice to see you on here,
up untill last month i had a back garden 12ft wide by 30ft long, it looked
 like this,
  click on picture for a bigger view,
 i grow loads in my small beds, from lettuce,  onions, peas, beans (french & runners, broad), tomatoes, few rows of early potatoes, sweetcorn, beetroot, parnips, the only advise i can give you is to grow only what you like to eat & draw out a plan,
i hope this helps
all the best
windy ;)

[hellohelenhere]

I'm another B.G. Allotmenteer! I'll be starting from scratch in our new place, it's a 65ft x 11ft lawn at the moment. As it runs east-west, I'm planning to have a border for the entire south-facing side of it, and plant everything in that.

About raised beds - I'm contemplating them - but will it make my beds much more dependent on being watered in the summer? This year we were away twice for a month each time - anything I can do to make the garden more able to withstand absences, the better...

Does that rule raised beds out?

[windygale]

Hi Helen, good point, when i started mine years ago, i double dug my ground adding loads of manure, then make my beds and filled them with more well rotter manure, compost mixed in, i even mulched the plants with fresh cut grass, over wet newspaper, or shredded paper,

but if you worry about holiday, i used to water the night before going, then mulch and water again, then lay wet newspaper on top, all this will slow down water loss over time,

you could plant through weed membrane, and mulch on this,

i hope this helps
windy

[cornykev]

Hi Robo looks like you've got the right idea, just leave some room for compost bins and waterbutts.  ;D ;D ;D

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks for those tips, Windygale. I don't yet know what our plans are for next year... but I reckon I could mulch heavily if I do go away, using some of your ideas there.
 I'm hoping I might find a neighbouring gardener with whom I can swap garden favours... failing that I'll just have to mulch like mad! Oh, and maybe create an irrigation system too.
I had neighbours who had one, running from a butt - but they still needed me to go and top up the butt from the tap, about once a week.

[robandally65]

Thanks for all the advise guys.

Rob is out there today pulling apart an old very large gates the neighbours had across their drive and we are salvaging the planks for the raised beds. We also sat out for an hour or so with a flask of tea going through the plans so I could get him up to date with what I've been reading about all week (he works long hours so I have to be the one to do all the research...although I work too ;)

We'll get there.

[star]

Hi guys, welcome from me too.

Im sure you will make a fantastic job, all the advice given is spot on. I do what Windygale does........mulch and plant through (cardboard in my case) covered with manure or compost. Works a treat and no watering needed ;D ;D............................as long as the ground is properly moist before ya mulch it ;)

[hellohelenhere]

Hi Star - could you explain the cardboard mulching system in idiot steps for me? When you say no watering needed - what happens in really dry weather? How about with something like beans, where you're supposed to water once they're in flower - how do they get along? Or can you just water around the base of the plant when necessary?

[tonybloke]

you'll need more room for your comfrey! (10 / 12 plants should do for a garden of your size) Good luck and welcome to the site! ;) rgds, tony

[star]

Hi Star - could you explain the cardboard mulching system in idiot steps for me? When you say no watering needed - what happens in really dry weather? How about with something like beans, where you're supposed to water once they're in flower - how do they get along? Or can you just water around the base of the plant when necessary?

Im very sorry hun, I haven't looked in this forum for a couple of days.

1. Cover the area or raised bed with thick cardboard, make sure the soil is very moist. Early spring or winter as long as the ground isnt frozen. You can cover couch as well, but then black plastic may be the better option and left on for longer. (You can plant through black plastic to get a decent crop too)
 
2. Cover the cardboard with a good 8 - 10 inches of well rotted manure or compost.

3. By the time March comes round the cardboard will have softened. To plant Brassicas, Beans etc.....move aside the manure / compost from where you want to plant.

4. Cut a cross in the cardboard and take out your planting hole.

5. Plant your plant cover roots with soil as normal, fold back the cardboard over the planting hole. Then push back the manure / compost.......leaving a slight well around the plant stem.

6. If you have grass clippings later on, add these to the top of the mulch a little at a time. The grass with dry out and create a thatch.

7. Watering should not be required as the thick layer of mulch keeps the moisture in the soil. The grass clippings make a dry roof that also improves water retention underneath.

8. If you test the soil with your finger in long hot dry spells to find it is getting dry, you can water of course. Around the base of each plant should be sufficient. Do the same method for feeding.

I hope I have made this sound easy, it really is. Very labour saving and does not alter the microclimate and organisms in the soil. Just to add, the more soil is turned over the more weed seeds are exposed to the air, light and warmth of the sun. Where they happily germinate. If they are left underneath the conditions are not right for germination.

Good luck Helen and easy gardening

[star]

There is also this link, using slightly different materials but the same principles.

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/raised-vegetable-garden.html

 ;)

[hellohelenhere]

Star, thanks so much for the detailed reply! I'll try at least one bed like that, it sounds like just the solution. Cheers!

[hellohelenhere]

Just looked at the no-dig gardening link, and one on lasagna gardening that windygale sent me - this is starting to look like a *very* attractive option, considering that I was facing the prospect of double-digging a 65ft length of border, from the existing turf! I'll scavenge some boards as soon as I can, to go round the edges.

[star]

Yay........another no dig convert ;D ;D ;D!!!


Your back will thank you in the future ;D ;)

Have fun and dont forget to take pics ;)

[hellohelenhere]

Ooh, I'll take loads of pics! One of those sites recommends a sprinkling of lime at the bottom of the pile, do you do that? I've never used lime before. I'm completely ignorant about feeds and so forth, in general...